Automated high-throughput seed sampler and methods of sampling, testing and bulking seeds

Abstract

In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides an automated seed sampling and sorting system. The system includes an imaging station for collecting image data of a set of seeds and a seed orientation station for independently positioning each seed in the set in a desired orientation based on the collected image data. The system further includes a seed sample and sort station for extracting a sample from each seed in the set, sorting each sample to a sample tray and sorting each sampled seed to a seed tray.

1. An automated system for sampling and sorting at least one seed from a plurality of seeds, the system comprising:
 a seed loading station for separating at least one seed from a plurality of seeds; 
 an imaging station for collecting image data of the at least one seed; 
 a seed orientation station for positioning and retaining the at least one seed in a desired orientation based on the collected image data; and 
 a seed sample and sort station for extracting a tissue sample from the at least one seed. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one seed includes multiple seeds, and wherein the system further comprises a plurality of rotary vacuum cup banks for retaining multiple separated seeds, each of the rotary vacuum cup banks comprising a plurality of rotary vacuum cup devices. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2  wherein the seed loading station is operable to present the separated seeds to one of the plurality of rotary vacuum cup banks for retention in one of the plurality of rotary vacuum cup devices. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the seed loading station comprises:
 a separating wheel for separating the seeds from the plurality of seeds in a bulk hopper; and 
 a tube shuttle having a plurality of first transfer tubes extending from a plurality of openings in the tube shuttle, the tube shuttle for incrementally positioning each of the first transfer tubes under the separating wheel to receive one of the seeds from the separating wheel in a first transfer tube. 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the seed loading station further comprises a queuing stack having the first transfer tubes connected thereto and structured to receive the separated seeds from the first transfer tubes, temporarily retain the seeds and release the seeds, as a set of seeds, into a plurality of second transfer tubes connected to the queuing stack. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the seed loading station further comprises an elevator hopper including a plurality of elevator chambers, each of the second transfer tubes connected to a respective one of the elevator chambers such that each elevator chamber receives one of the seeds from the set of seeds released from the queuing stack, each elevator hopper having an elevator rod operable to lift the seeds out of the respective elevator chambers and present the set of seeds for retention by a bank of rotary vacuum cup devices. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 3 , further comprising a seed transport subsystem comprising the plurality of the rotary vacuum cup banks and a motor controllable to sequentially position each of the rotary vacuum cup banks adjacent the seed loading station, the imaging station, the seed orientation station, and the seed sample and sort station. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the imaging station comprises at least one imaging device positioned below the separated seeds retained by at least one of the plurality of rotary vacuum cup banks such that the at least one imaging device is operable to collect image data of a bottom side of each seed. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein each rotary vacuum cup device comprises a friction plate and a vacuum cup mounted to opposing ends of a rotary shaft, each vacuum cup includes a tip to which each respective seed is retained via vacuum pressure and a background disk structured to provide a solid background for the imaging data collected by the at least one imaging device. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one imaging device comprises a pair of imaging devices configured such that each imaging device collects imaging data for a corresponding one-half of each of the seeds. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the imaging station further comprises at least one light source for illuminating the seeds as the at least one imaging device collects the image data. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one light source comprises a number of light sources equal to the number of rotary vacuum cup devices in the at least one of the plurality of rotary vacuum cup banks. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the seed orientation station comprises a motor bank including a number of rotary motors equal to the number of rotary vacuum cup devices in at least one of the plurality of rotary vacuum cup banks, each rotary motor including a shaft having a clutch plate mounted at a distal end, and the motor bank mounted to a linear actuator controllable to lower the motor bank such that each clutch plate engages the friction plate of a corresponding one of the rotary vacuum cup devices, each rotary motor independently controllable to rotate the respective clutch plate and engaged friction plate to position a seed retained by the respective rotary vacuum cup device in a desired orientation based on the image data for said respective seed collected at the imaging station. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the seed orientation station comprises a seed purge hopper mounted below at least one of the rotary vacuum cup banks such that seeds can be purged from the at least one of the rotary vacuum cup banks by discharging the seeds into the seed purge hopper. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the seed sample and sort station comprises a press plate bank including a number of press plates equal to the number of rotary vacuum cup devices in at least one of the plurality of rotary vacuum cup banks, the press plate bank mounted to a linear actuator controllably operable to lower the press plate bank such that each press plate engages the friction plate of a corresponding one of the rotary vacuum cup devices and moves the respective vacuum cups and seeds downward to a sampling location. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the seed sample and sort station further comprises a number of independently controlled grip and chip assemblies equal to the number of rotary vacuum cup devices in at least one of the plurality of rotary vacuum cup banks, each grip and chip assembly comprises a seed gripping mechanism for firmly holding the respective seed at the sampling location as a sample is extracted from the seed, and a sample extraction mechanism for extracting a sample from each seed. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , wherein each seed gripping mechanism comprises an actuator controllable to bidirectionally move a pair of opposing actuator arms toward and away from each other, each actuator arm structured to removably retain one of a pair of opposing seed gripping fingers structured to firmly hold the respective seed as the sample is extracted by the sample extraction mechanism. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein each sample extraction mechanism comprises a cutting wheel mounted to a shaft rotationally driven by a cutting wheel motor, the cutting wheel mounted to the shaft in a cam fashion such that as the cutting wheel rotates a peripheral cutting edge of the cutting wheel progressively moves toward the respective seed held by the gripping mechanism to extract a sample from the seed. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the cutting edge of each cutting wheel includes a plurality of teeth that each include a lateral cutting tip formed at an angle such that as the respective cutting wheel cuts through the respective seed to extract a sample, a leading end of the cutting tip of each subsequent tooth engages the seed before a trailing end of the cutting tip of each preceding tooth disengages the seed. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 18 , wherein each gripping finger comprises a head having a contoured face having a wedge-like conformation such that the respective seed is forced toward the cutting wheel and firmly held as the sample is extracted. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 18 , wherein each seed gripping mechanism further comprises a seed dump bowl for funneling the respective sampled seed into a respective drain tube when the seed is released from the respective seed gripping mechanism, and a sample extraction orifice for drawing the respective sample into a respective sample extraction tube as the sample is extracted. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the seed sample and sort station further comprises a sample extraction nozzle manifold having a plurality of sample discharge nozzles connected thereto, each sample discharge nozzle in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the sample extraction tubes such that the respective sample drawn into the respective sample extraction tube is dischargeable from the respective sample extraction nozzle to deposit the sample into a selected one of a plurality of sample wells of a plurality of sample trays positioned on a sample tray platform of the seed sample and sort station. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the sample extraction nozzle manifold is mounted to an actuator controllable to move the sample extraction nozzle manifold to position each sample discharge nozzle in close proximity to a corresponding sample well. 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 23 , wherein each sample discharge nozzle includes a seal for creating a seal between each discharge nozzle and the corresponding sample well when the sample discharge nozzles are moved in close proximity to the sample wells. 
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the sample tray platform is mounted to an X-Y stage controllable to position a selected group of the sample wells at a target location to receive samples discharged from the sample discharge nozzles. 
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the seed sample and sort station further comprises a seed tray platform located beneath the drain tubes such that each sampled seed funneled into the respective drain tube is dispensed into a selected one of a plurality of seed wells of a plurality of seed trays positioned on the seed tray platform. 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 26 , wherein the seed tray platform is mounted to an X-Y stage controllable to position a selected group of the seed wells at a target location to receive sampled seeds dispensed from the drain tubes. 
     
     
       28. An automated, high-throughput method for extracting sample material for testing from individual seeds in a population of seeds, the method comprising:
 separating at least one seed from a plurality of seeds; 
 collecting image data from the at least one seed; 
 positioning the at least one seed in a desired orientation based on the collected image data; 
 extracting a tissue sample from the at least one seed; and 
 sorting the tissue sample to a sample tray and sorting the sampled seed to a seed tray. 
 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 28 , wherein:
 separating at least one seed includes separating multiple seeds from the plurality of seeds; 
 collecting image data includes collecting image data of the multiple separated seeds; and 
 extracting a tissue sample includes extracting a tissue sample from each of the multiple separated seeds. 
 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 28 , wherein collecting image data comprises collecting image data of a bottom side of the at least one seed utilizing at least one imaging device. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 28 , wherein positioning the at least one seed comprises:
 lowering a motor bank, of a seed orientation station, comprising rotary motors such that a clutch plate of a rotary motor engages a friction plate of a corresponding one of a rotary vacuum cup device; and 
 independently controlling each rotary motor to rotate its respective clutch plate and an engaged friction plate to position a seed retained by the respective rotary vacuum cup device in a desired orientation based on the collected image data for said seed. 
 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 28 , wherein extracting a tissue sample from the at least one seed comprises lowering a press plate bank, of a sample and sort station, comprising a number of press plates such that each press plate engages a friction plate of a corresponding one of a rotary vacuum cup device and moves the respective vacuum device and the at least one seed retained thereby downward to a sampling location. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 32 , wherein extracting a tissue sample from the at least one seed further comprises:
 firmly holding the at least one seed at the sampling location by independently controlling a number of grip and chip assemblies; and 
 extracting a tissue sample from the at least one seed utilizing a sample extraction mechanism. 
 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 33 , wherein firmly holding the at least one seed at the sampling location comprises independently controlling an actuator to move a pair of opposing actuator arms toward each other such that a pair of gripping fingers, removably retained in the actuator arms, firmly hold the at least one seed as the sample is extracted by the sample extraction mechanism. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 34 , wherein extracting a tissue sample from the at least one seed comprises rotating a cutting wheel shaft such that a peripheral cutting edge of a cutting wheel mounted to the shaft in a cam fashion progressively moves toward the at least one seed held by the gripping mechanism and extracts a sample from the at least one seed. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 35 , wherein the cutting edge of the cutting wheel includes a plurality of teeth that each include a lateral cutting tip formed at a specific angle such that as the cutting wheel cuts through the at least one seed to extract a tissue sample, a leading end of the cutting tip of each subsequent tooth engages the at least one seed before a trailing end of the cutting tip of each preceding tooth disengages the at least one seed. 
     
     
       37. An automated system for removing sample material from individual ones of a plurality of seeds while preserving the germination viability of the seeds, said system comprising:
 a seed loading station for separating and retaining sets of seeds from a plurality of seeds in a bulk seed hopper; 
 an imaging station for collecting image data of the retained sets of seeds; 
 a seed orientation station for independently positioning each seed in each seed set in a desired orientation based on the collected image data; and 
 a seed sample and sort station for extracting a tissue sample from each seed in each seed set, sorting each tissue sample to a sample tray and sorting each sampled seed to a seed tray. 
 
     
     
       38. The system of  claim 37 , wherein the seed loading station comprises:
 a separating wheel for separating seeds from the plurality of seeds in the bulk hopper; and 
 a tube shuttle having a plurality of first transfer tubes extending from a plurality of openings in the tube shuttle, the tube shuttle for incrementally positioning each of the first transfer tubes under the separating wheel to receive one of the seeds from the separating wheel in each first transfer tube. 
 
     
     
       39. The system of  claim 38 , wherein the seed loading station further comprises a queuing stack having the first transfer tubes connected thereto and structured to receive the separated seeds from each of the first transfer tubes, temporarily retain the seeds and sequentially release the seeds as sets of seeds into a plurality of second transfer tubes connected to the queuing stack. 
     
     
       40. The system of  claim 39 , wherein the seed loading station further comprises an elevator hopper including a plurality of elevator chambers, each of the second transfer tubes connected to a respective one of the elevator chambers such that each elevator chamber receives one of the seeds from the respective set of seeds released from the queuing stack, each elevator hopper having an elevator rod operable to lift the seeds out of the respective elevator chambers and present the respective set of seeds for retention by one of a plurality of rotary vacuum cup banks, each rotary vacuum cup bank comprising a plurality of rotary vacuum cup devices. 
     
     
       41. The system of  claim 37  further comprising a seed transport subsystem comprising a plurality of rotary vacuum cup banks, each rotary vacuum cup bank comprising a plurality of rotary vacuum cup devices, and a motor controllable to sequentially position each of the rotary vacuum cup banks adjacent the seed loading station where the respective rotary vacuum cup bank removes and retains a presented set of seeds, the seed imaging station where image data of the respective set of seeds is collected, the seed orientation station where the respective set of seeds are positioned to have the desired orientation, and the seed sampling sorting station where a sample is extracted from each seed in the respective set of seeds and each sampled seed and extracted sample are respectively deposited into the seed tray and the sample tray. 
     
     
       42. The system of  claim 37 , wherein the seed imaging station comprises at least one imaging device operable to collect image data of a bottom side of each seed in the respective set of seeds. 
     
     
       43. The system of  claim 42 , further comprising multiple rotary vacuum cup devices oriented in banks, wherein each rotary vacuum cup device comprises a friction plate and a vacuum cup mounted to opposing ends of a longitudinally biased rotary shaft, each vacuum cup includes a tip to which each respective seed is retained via vacuum pressure and a background disk structured to provide a solid background for the imaging data collected by the at least one imaging device. 
     
     
       44. The system of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one imaging device comprises a pair of imaging devices configured such that each imaging device collects imaging data for a corresponding one-half of the respective set of seeds. 
     
     
       45. The system of  claim 42 , wherein the seed imaging station further comprises at least one light source for illuminating the sets of seeds as the at least one imaging device collects the image data. 
     
     
       46. The system of  claim 43 , wherein the at least one light source comprises a number of light sources equal to the number of rotary vacuum cup devices in a bank. 
     
     
       47. The system of  claim 43 , wherein the seed orientation station comprises a motor bank including a number of rotary motors equal to the number of rotary vacuum cup devices in a bank, each rotary motor including a shaft having a clutch plate mounted at a distal end, and the motor bank mounted to a linear actuator controllably operable to lower the motor bank such that each clutch plate engages the friction plate of a corresponding one of the rotary vacuum cup devices, each rotary motor independently controllable to rotate the respective clutch plate and engaged friction plate to position the seed retained by the respective rotary vacuum cup device in a desired orientation based on the image data for the respective seed collected at the seed imaging station. 
     
     
       48. The system of  claim 43 , wherein the seed orientation station comprises a seed purge hopper mounted below the rotary vacuum cup devices such that seeds can be purged from the respective rotary vacuum cup devices by discharging the seeds into the seed purge hopper. 
     
     
       49. The system of  claim 43 , wherein the seed sample and sort station comprises a press plate bank including a number of press plates equal to the number of rotary vacuum cup devices in a bank, the press plate bank mounted to a linear actuator controllably operable to lower the press plate bank such that each press plate engages the friction plate of a corresponding one of the rotary vacuum cup devices and moves the respective vacuum cups and seeds downward to a sampling location. 
     
     
       50. The system of  claim 49 , wherein the seed sample and sort station further comprises a number of independently controlled grip and chip assemblies equal to the number of rotary vacuum cup devices in a bank, each grip and chip assembly comprises a seed gripping mechanism for firmly holding the respective seed at the sampling location as a sample is extracted from the seed, and a sample extraction mechanism for extracting a sample from each seed. 
     
     
       51. The system of  claim 50 , wherein each seed gripping mechanism comprises an actuator controllable to bidirectionally move a pair of opposing actuator arms toward and away from each other, each actuator arm structured to removably retain one of a pair of opposing seed gripping fingers structured to firmly hold the respective seed as the sample is extracted by the sample extraction mechanism. 
     
     
       52. The system of  claim 51 , wherein each sample extraction mechanism comprises a cutting wheel mounted to a shaft rotationally driven by a cutting wheel motor, the cutting wheel mounted to the shaft in a cam fashion such that as the cutting wheel rotates a peripheral cutting edge of the cutting wheel progressively moves toward the respective seed held by the gripping mechanism to extract a sample from the seed. 
     
     
       53. The system of  claim 52 , wherein the cutting edge of each cutting wheel includes a plurality of teeth that each include a lateral cutting tip formed at an angle such that as the respective cutting wheel cuts through the respective seed to extract a sample, a leading end of the cutting tip of each subsequent tooth engages the seed before a trailing end of the cutting tip of each preceding tooth disengages the seed. 
     
     
       54. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a sample tray for receiving the tissue sample extracted from the at least one seed, and a seed tray for receiving the at least one seed. 
     
     
       55. An automated method for removing tissue from at least one seed, the method comprising:
 imaging at least one seed; 
 orienting the at least one seed based on image data collected when imaging the at least one seed; and 
 removing tissue from the at least one seed; 
 wherein imaging the at least one seed, orienting the at least one seed, and removing tissue from the at least one seed comprise automated operations. 
 
     
     
       56. The automated method of  claim 55 , wherein orienting the at least one seed includes rotating the at least one seed to orient a cap portion of the at least one seed in a desired position. 
     
     
       57. The automated method of  claim 56 , wherein removing tissue from the at least one seed includes removing tissue from the cap portion of the at least one seed. 
     
     
       58. The automated method of  claim 55 , wherein removing tissue from the at least one seed includes cutting the tissue from the at least one seed. 
     
     
       59. The automated method of  claim 55 , further comprising:
 receiving the tissue removed from the at least one seed in a tissue tray and mapping the location of the tissue in the tissue tray; and 
 receiving the at least one seed from which the tissue is removed in a seed tray and mapping the location of the at least one seed in the seed tray. 
 
     
     
       60. The automated method of  claim 55 , further comprising screening the tissue removed from the at least one seed for presence or absence of at least one characteristic. 
     
     
       61. The automated method of  claim 55 , wherein the at least one seed includes multiple seeds, and wherein:
 imaging the at least one seed includes substantially simultaneously imaging the multiple seeds; 
 orienting the at least one seed includes substantially simultaneously orienting the multiple seeds; and 
 removing tissue from the at least one seed includes substantially simultaneously removing tissue from the multiple seeds.